Cave 01: Around the ceiling one can see the paintings of amorous couples. Shiva and his consort Parvati, along with a coiled serpent. Shiva as Natraja with 18 arms is noticed in 81 dancing poses. A single can easily climb to cave 1 made of red sandstone. It antedates 578 A.D. and was most likely the first to be carved. Climbing the forty odd steps to attain the colonnaded verandah, a corridor with numerous pillars and also a square shaped sanctum hollowed within the handle backwall. Column shafts are masterfully crafted.
Cave 02: This cave is devoted to Vishnu. Vishnu right here is depicted being a dwarf or. An additional form of Vishnu portrayed here is as 'Varaha' or being a boar. Vishnu riding the Garnda & lotus surrounded by sixteen fishes. Vishnu right here is depicted being a dwarf or Trivikrama of awesome dimensions with a single foot mastering the Earth and the other the sky, the second cave is atop a sandstone hill.
Cave 03: The main attractions to become looked carefully in this cave are the high relief of Vishnu using a serpent, Vishnu as Narasimha (Vishnu as Man-Lion) Varaha, Harihara (Shiva Vishnu) and Vishnu as Trivikrama. Still going higher up a single comes across this 578 A.D. The facade of the cave is nearly 70 feet wide, on the plinth a single can see the carvings of ganas. The sheer artistry and sculptural genius makes it this cave the highlight of Deccani art. It gives a virtual insight into the art and culture of the 6th century like costumes, jewelry hairstyle lifestyle etc.
Cave 04: There is an image of Mahavira adorning the sanctum. Other carvings right here are of Padmavathi & other Thirthankaras. Asteep climb up some actions cut in a crevice between Cave II & III leads to the southern part of Badami Fort & to an old gun placed there by Tippu Sultan.

1 of the numerous masterpieces to be found in these caves is the famous, 18-armed Nataraja (Shiva) who if observed closely, strikes 81 poses. Cave 4, the last cave, is the only Jain Temple in Badami. The 24th Tirthankara- Mahavira, is seated in a uniquely comfortable pose right here, against a cushion in the inner sanctum. Around the other bank of the ancient Bhutnatha lake, astride whose shores the caves stand, is the shrine of Nagamma, the local serpent goddess, within a massive tamarind tree. Nearby, are two Shiva temples, which deify Him as Bhutanatha, God of Souls. Inside the inner sanctum, on the edge of the water, He sits in a rare pose, leaning back, in all his awesome majesty. It is said that the better known caves of Elephanta and Ellora were modelled on the ones in Badami. The Kailashnatha temple at Ellora, has been hewn out of an entire hillock, cut out from the parent hill and combines the best of cave and free-standing temples. The cave temples of Badami which date back to 600 and 700 A.D. are carved out of sandstone hills. Each has a sanctum, a corridor, an open verandah and pillars. What makes these cave temples remarkable, are the large number of exquisite carvings and sculptures. The town encompasses a number of carved monuments and caves of the Chalukyas that is a blend of Indian Nagara style and the South Indian Dravidian style of architecture. There are quite a few beautiful murals as well. The free standing stone temples in Badami, provide enlightening information about the development of the Chalukyan style of architecture, as numerous seem to have been experimental constructions. The early temples appear to become like large court halls to which shrines were attached. The Ladkhan temple at Aihole belongs to this early phase. The next phase of development is visible in the Gowdaragudi temple which is a more complex structure.

The rich past of Badami is closely linked with the ancient Kingdom of Chalukyas. It was first founded by Pulakesin I inside the 6th century A.D. The Chalukyas are to be credited with pioneering a new architectural style, examples of which can be noticed in Aihole, Pattadakal ( one particular comes across Banashankari, the goddess the village is named after) and other neighbouring areas. It was also ruled by the Chalukyas of Kalyan (a separate branch of Chalukyas), the Kalachuryas, Yadavas of Devangiri and the Vijaynagar Empire. Within the latter medieval period, Adil Shahi rulers of Bijapur and the Marathas ruled it. Badami was finally taken over by the British, who created it a part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency. They built a number of temples, and other monuments that marked the beginning of the Hindu style of architecture. This new style combined the best of two distinct styles - the North Indian, Indo-Aryan Nagara style and the South Indian Dravidian style. Known as the Chalukyan style, this style is manifested in several cave temples, devoted to Brahmanical deities, at the same time as the a lot of Buddhist and Jain monasteries within the region.

Naganath Temple: 10 Kms, located in a forest around the way to Mahakuta, it is a single of the early Chalukyan temples dedicated to Shiva.

Badami Fort: 2 Kms. Strategically situated on top of the hill, the fort encloses large granaries, a treasury impressive temples on top of the northern end of the hill. Malegitti Shivalaya, perhaps the oldest temple of the lot, is devoted to the benign aspect of Shiva as the garland maker. Placed on the summit of a rocky hill, the temple is built of stone, finely joined without mortar, & with Dravidian tower. The lower Shivalaya has a Dravidian tower of which only the sanctum remains now.

Tranquil lake: Take a dip in this green tranquil lake. It is said to have healing properties. According to a popular story, King Kushataraya was cured of leprosy here.

Aihole: 46 Kms. There is a remarkable group of temples right here built during the reign of Chalukyan rulers, dating from the sixth to the eighth centuries.
Museum with Shiva's bull, "Nandi" at its entrance overlooking the dammed lake is worthwhile for the scholarly. This museum is closed on Fridays.